Three hundred and forty six delegates represented their county Farm Bureaus and voted on policies that will shape the direction of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF) in 2010 at the organization’s 91st annual meeting in Cincinnati this month.

Mark Sanborn, a nationally recognized speaker and author, kicked off the first-ever Ohio Farm and Food Leadership Forum with a message that resonated with Ohio Farm Bureau’s mission to forge a partnership between farmers and consumers.

Ohio is serious about the care and treatment of its livestock, and the Livestock Care Standards Board is the authority on the issue in the state. That’s part of the message Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States delivered to the board Tuesday.

Working through Ohio Farm Bureau, farmers were actively engaged in the multi-year process of drafting, writing and revising the law. The bill, the first of its kind in the nation, was first passed by the Senate. The House recently passed its version, which the Senate is expected to approve. It will then go to Gov. John Kasich for his signature.

Thirty-three high school students from across the state learned how to take action in the government process by participating in the Ohio Youth Capitol Challenge program. Sponsored by Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, 4-H and FFA, the policy development program took place Feb. 18-19 in Columbus in conjunction with Ohio Farm Bureau’s Ag Day at the Capitol.

Farm machinery has not been allowed to use a portion of U.S Route 20, or the Norwalk Bypass, in Huron County for many years. Recently, several farmers including two Huron County Farm Bureau members, John Brooks and Bill Ommert, submitted testimony on House Bill 249, which seeks to resolve the longstanding issue that has impacted farmers in that area.

Ohio Farm Bureau is taking a close look at Gov. John Kasich’s 1,600-page mid-biennium review (MBR), a package of policy and budgetary provisions that lay out Kasich’s goals for the year. The MBR has been split out into 14 separate bills so legislative committees can consider them. The MBR is comprehensive and covers everything from K-12 and higher education to various tax changes to amusement ride inspection fees.

AgriPOWER is a leadership and advocacy development program, which consists of multi-day institutes that cover public policy matters facing local communities, the state of Ohio, the nation and the world. Ohio Farm Bureau is now taking applications for Class VI. Here is what two past participants had to say about the program.

Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Doug O’Brien recently visited Athens County to announce a grant award of more than $198,000 to help Rural Action and the Southeast Ohio Food Hub Network expand the distribution of locally grown foods.

The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board came one step closer to getting its feet on the ground when the Ohio House unanimously passed legislation to establish the required guidelines for the voter-approved entity.

Pressure is continuing to mount against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to expand its jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act (CWA). This week the House passed a bill 262-152 that calls for prohibiting the EPA from implementing its plan. Ohio Rep. Bob Gibbs backed the bill, saying in a blog that the EPA’s proposed rule is a “massive power grab by the federal government."

This week the House Agriculture Committee passed the 2012 Farm Bill by a vote of 35-11. At this time it is not known when or if the Farm Bill will be taken up by the entire House for consideration. Ohio Farm Bureau will continue to push for passage before the September expiration of the 2008 Farm Bill.